Unexpected Lesson From Quitting Coffee After 20 Years

So, I’m sure you’ve heard countless stories about people quitting Coffee – the horrible after-effects they experience, such as headaches, sluggishness, difficulty thinking and being productive. They put themselves through weeks of agony to break free from dependence, aiming for better sleep and a more natural, enhanced level of productivity and functionality.

Sound familiar?

Well, yes, these are popular reasons why one would stop drinking Coffee. I wanted those benefits, and I did start to feel them. But, I never imagined it would send me into depression…

Prologue

Those who follow me on Instagram may remember that I started a coffee detox in August 2023. I was posting about it and giving daily and weekly updates. It went well... until it didn’t, and spoiler alert, after a month of detox, I started drinking Coffee again.

My normal routine was a double shot in the morning and a double after lunch.

Now, my approach to and the reasons for drinking Coffee has changed. What I’ve learned through the process has got me enjoying that delicious cup of gold again with a new mindset. Let me explain what I learned about the strange emotional side effects of Coffee.

Hopefully, by the end of this article, you’ll be well-equipped to take on this experiment too!

My Experience

Firstly, I stopped coffee cold turkey.

However, I did supplement with green tea and tried a mushroom powder for a few days, which helped with the mental fog and headaches.

The first day, it started great. I woke up, did not switch on the coffee machine and proceeded to go about my day and head to the office.

By mid-morning, I had no headaches, my mind was clear, and I thought this could be a successful day. I went about my work, and a few hours later, boom! At around 2 pm, the much-anticipated headache appeared. I tried to ignore it, but it was like a drum solo in my skull.

I went to the Kitchen and made a decaf coffee, thinking that old mate Placebo could do me a huge favour. Turns out it did, but not for long…

As you can imagine, the headache was gone. But boy, was it a rough evening.

I got invited for after-work drinks with my Fiancés (now wife) work colleagues. I had fun and enjoyed myself, but simultaneously, I had a miniature jackhammer going off in my head. I found it hard to pay attention to conversations and ultimately wanted to go home and sleep.

I’m glad I started this journey on a Thursday (I work from home on Fridays and can be in pyjama mode) because I thought it would give me a few days to be okay again for the following week of work.

The cycle of afternoon headaches continued for a few days. The green tea helped ease them off a little, but I succumbed to drugs… (panadol) during these periods.

Agony

During the first week, I struggled to focus on work because my productivity resembled a rough ride on the ocean seas.

I experienced muscle aches and pain for at least four days — persisting all day. My back, hamstrings, and quads were all aching. With these physical discomforts and a lack of mental euphoria, my mood was low. I always felt annoyed and didn’t want to do anything except sit on the couch.

It Got Better…

So, after a week of agony, I started to feel somewhat normal. When I woke up, I had mental energy, could focus well on tasks, could jump straight into a workout without needing that extra kick, could write, and could work immediately in the morning; it was great.

While my productivity bounced back better than ever, my sleep improved, and I already saw the effects of coffee non-dependance; after weeks 3–4, I couldn’t help but notice this strange emotional undertone simmering deep inside.

Until It Didn't…

Somewhere in the middle of this experiment, I had a weekend away with friends in Berlin; there were about 8 of us. It was a fantastic time, eating, drinking, and socialising; we all had a blast, connected on new levels, and played many games. During the trip, I told everyone how I no longer drank coffee; they were impressed, and I felt accomplished.

The trip was(at the time)the highlight of the year and had a substantial positive impact on me, more than other weekend trips I’d done before.

Now, after an incredible weekend like that, it’s hard to suddenly separate and go back into your everyday life routine, back to work and responsibility, and enjoy it.

But…It was more than that.

I wasn’t excited. I wasn’t eager. I wasn’t able to find joy in my day-to-day life.

I was thinking about upcoming events, like travelling back to Australia with my Fiance and getting married! Yes, that triggered some excitement, but my overall happiness levels were deficient.

My daily routine suddenly felt dull. I wasn’t looking forward to going to the office to work with colleagues, and I wasn’t looking forward to socialising. In fact, I would go into the office, put headphones on the whole time, listen to music and try to get through all my work; it was very out of character for me.

For a couple of weeks, I was in this emotional slump.

Also, My libido was utterly turned off…

It’s like my emotions were peaking; I had very high highs but then very low lows.

I wondered if stopping Coffee could have this effect, even after a month.

What Happened?

So curious Me started researching; I was looking for other similar stories, but I mostly found studies and science-backed articles about what happens to your body when you consume this liquid gold.

When you drink Coffee, your body releases stress hormones, kicking you into fight or flight mode, and you get a serotonin boost, meaning you feel fantastic, your happy strings are plucked, and your body is ready for action.

Suppose you’re subjecting your body to this treatment daily for… 20 years without missing a single day, not one single day. In that case, it will be very tough for your body to regulate and develop all those hormones and chemicals normally; it will take time for your body's serotonin regulator to go back to normal and be able to straighten out your emotional response and happy vibes.

So I realised I had to go back to drinking it.

I needed to be able to function, mainly because I was about to get married!!! I needed that energy and positive vibes and needed my libido back.

So I’m back to drinking two coffees a day, but I’m not dependent on it to wake up. My first cup of Coffee is not until at least 1-2 hours after wakeup, and the last Coffee is approx 10 hours before sleeping.

I can benefit from the morning productivity gains and not be a mopey bastard.

This is a healthier alternative than injecting your wake-up juice as soon as you get up. Let that process happen naturally.

Should you go completely Coffee-free?

I would still like to try this to see if there are other benefits to score, but if you do, a better idea is to plan a long-term rehab plan to reduce the intake to zero. Reduce your intake by a shot or a few mils per week and stretch that out over a few months.

Or live in a cave for a few months and go cold turkey.

Have you tried this and experienced any of these symptoms? Am I crazy? Please let me know; I would love to hear your experience! Also let me know if you’re considering trying a coffee detox!